Each day, on the front lines of the world’s most devastating crises, our teams witness catastrophic consequences when the sacred nature of healthcare is compromised. Hospitals are reduced to ruins, ambulances face delays and obstructions, and doctors, nurses, and patients are often caught in attacks resulting in death and injuries. Patients die from injuries that could have been treated, women are sometimes forced to give birth without adequate care, and entire communities lose access to vital services. When healthcare is no longer safe, it is often the clearest harbinger that the rules and norms intended to limit the damage of war are collapsing. When hospitals and those providing care are attacked, we are not just facing a humanitarian crisis, but a crisis of humanity.
States and all parties to armed conflicts must adhere to the rules protecting healthcare. The obligation under international humanitarian law (IHL) to “respect and ensure respect… in all circumstances” requires states not only to respect these rules themselves, but also to use all possible influence to ensure that other states and parties to the conflict do the same.
